Fabric smoothing and guiding device



Sept. 18, 1934. F. D. FOWLER 1,974,210

FABRIC SMOOTHING AND GUIDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I/Z i275- Sept. 18, 1934. D FOWLER 1,974,210.

1 513310 SMOOTHING AND GUIDING DEVICE Filed Au 2;, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 18, 1934 one STATES Fred 1!). Fowler, Newton, Mass., assignor to. Hood Rubber Company, Inc., Watertown, Mass. a corporation of Delaware Application August 23, 1933, Serial 'No. 686,393 Claims. (Cl. 26-66) This invention relates to devices for smoothing and guiding fabrics and is especially useful in the handling of knitted extensible fabrics such as stockinette.

' 5 The principal objects of the invention are to remove all wrinkles from the fabric and to restore it to its normal width by lateral stretching while delivering its margins in parallel alignment.

Other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation partly in section showing the smoothing and stretching device cooperating with a wind-up.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the smoothing and guiding device alone, with a web of fabric passing therethrough, part of the web being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of one end of the smoothing and guiding roll drawn to a larger scale, partly 20 in section and with parts broken away to show the mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 3. U V

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail view of one of the tentering elements shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the device consists of a roll over which the fabric may be fed from any source. The roll is equippedwith tentering means at each end and independent from each other, each of which comprises a plurality of independently operating tentering elements. Feeler elements are provided to control the operation of the tentering elements according to the presence or absence of a margin of the fabric. The device is so constructed as to deliver each selvage edge of the fabric in a given plane perpendicular to the axis of the roll regardless of variation of the selvage from that plane as it approaches the roll.

The tentering roll and its associated mechanism includes a pair of spaced vertical frame members 10, 10 held in spaced relation by parallel rods 11, 12.

The frame members are each provided with a long quill or bushing 13; The quills extend toward each other in alignment and are non-rotatably fixed tothe frame members. A feather key 14 extends throughout the length of each quill.

Journaled through the quills 13 is a shaft 15 adapted to be driven from any convenient source of power (not shown) by a sprocket 16 and chain 17.

line

The tentering roll is adjustable for accommodating fabrics of different widths. For this purpose the shaft 15 is provided with long keyways 18. A spider 19 for carrying the tentering mechanism is non-rctatably but slidably mounted over each keyway 18 on shaft 15. Over the hub of this spider is secured a hub 20 which carries one half 21 of a hollow shell. The other half 21' of the shell is similarly supported at the opposite end. Each shell half is slotted to provide a plurality of intercalated fingers 22 at the center of the roll, providing adjustment of the roll halves with respect to each other while supporting the fabric therebetween. 1 The tentering earns 23 are slidably mounted on the quills 13. Each cam is of the drum type having a continuous cam groove 24. Each cam has a hub projecting at each end and formed with a circumferential groove 25 at one endjand a similar. groove 26 at the other. Groove 26-mtatably receivesa split ring 27 which is engaged by ahub ring 27 forming a support for oneend of the spider 19. The arrangement is such that the half roll 21, the spider 19 and cam 23 may be moved along the axis of the roll only as a unit whereas the roll and spider may be rotated gether and the cam is non-rotatable.

The tentering mechanism which is controlled laterally of the roll by the cam 23 iscarried by spider 19 which is formed with a plurality of equally spaced axially disposed guide ways 29 of T-slot form. Each guide way is fitted with a sliding carriage 30. Each carriage carries a cam roller 41 all of which rollers cooperate with cam groove 24. A single carriage is shown in Fig. 7. The carriage comprises a slide part 42 which cooperates with the spider T-slot 29 and an offset extension 43 which underlies the end 21 of the roll. The part 43 supports a tentering element 44 which issupported thereabove by links 35 at one end and one arm36 of a bell crank lever at the other end, the linksandlever being pivotally connected to the part 43 and. element 44. The other arm of lever 36 is connected by a link 37 to the armature 28 of a solenoid 28 mountedon carriage '30. A tension coil spring 45 normally holds the tenteringjelement in the .dot and dash line or lowered position and. energizing of the solenoidraises the tentering ele ment to the raised or full line position. I

To retain the tentering element in raised position, the element is provided with a catch46 adapted to be engaged by a latch 47 pivotedon carriage 30. A tension coil spring 48 maintains the latch in engagement.

To retract the tentering element the latch 47 is provided with a tail 49. A stop screw 50 is adjustably mounted in a lug 51 on spider slideway 29. When carriage 30 is moved to the extreme right (see Pg. 7) by the cam 23, the tail 49 engages the stop 50 and releases the tentering element. 7

The solenoid 28 is controlled by presence or absence of fabric over a zone at the end of the roll. For this purpose an electric contact but.- ton 52 is formed on a lever 53 pivoted on carriage 30 and held in elevated position by a spring 54. The lever 53 is electrically connected to one end of the solenoid 28 by a Wire 55. The other terminal 55 of the solenoid is grounded on a collector ring 56 fixed to the guideways 29. A contact strp 57 curved parallel to the face of the roll 21 is held spaced therefrom by an insulating bar 58. It extends over an arc of approximately 90 degrees and is connected electrically to a source of electrical energy (not shown).

The ring 56 is also connected to the source of energy by a brush 59 which bears against the ring. The contact button 52 projects through a slot 'n the end of the roll 21 and as the roll carries it past the contact strip 57 it closes the circuit through the solenoid 28, if no fabric extends over the button thereby raising the tentering element 44 above the roll face through a clearance slot prov ded therefor. When fabric extends over the button 52 the circuit is not closed and therefore the tentering element is not raised.

In order to provide adjustment of the device to fabrics of different widths, each end of the device "s provided with a carriage 60, 60', adapted to slide on rods l1, 12. A right and left screw 61 engages threaded openings through the carriages and is journaled in the frame members 10,10. A hand wheel 62 is mounted on one projecting end of the screw. Carriages 60, 60 are each provided with a sh'fter fork 63 which engages in the groove 25 and serves to move the cam 23 axially.

A cross head 64 is also slidably mounted on rods 11, 12 and is held in spaced relation to the carriage 60 by a rod 65. Cross head (it carries rods 66, 67, which support the nsulated. cross bar 58. By this arrangement the relation of contact buttons 52 with contact strip 5'7 is maintained throughout all lateral adjustments. To maintain the cloth in proper shape after it has left the spreader roll t is best to provide windup means to roll the stock before it becomes slack. In Fig.

7 1 the fabric is designated by the numeral and approaches the tentering roll in a loop 71. After leaving the tentering roll it passes immediately over rolls '72 and '73 from which it is wound up by surface contact to form a roll 74.

The tentering elements may be of any construction desired. Those shown in the drawings comprise pieces '75 of card cloth removably held in place by clamps 76. 7

The cam grooves 24 are formed of such shape that opposite tentering elements are near each other at the position where the cloth enters into contact with the roll. As the buttons 52 meet the str'p 57, if one is uncovered by fabric, contact is made and the tentering element connected therewith is raised into contact with the fabric. Thereafter the cam groove causes an outward movement of the tentering element which pulls the fabric to the desired positon. The trigger then reaches the stop 50 releasing the fabric at the postion where the fabric leaves the roll. If the fabric is of the correct width but has sh fted laterally on the roll only one electrical contact will be made and the fabric will be shifted without lateral stretching. If, however, the fabric has become narrowed by wrinkl'ng or longitudinal stretching both contacts will be made and the fabric will be stretched laterally to correct Width.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for laterally stretching and aligning a travelling strip of fabric, said apparatus comprising a rotatable roll for supporting a bight of the fabric, an electrical contact plate spaced from the surface of an end of the roll, a tentering element carried by said roll below its fabric supporting face, means for automatically imparting axial movement to said tentering element, an electrical contact carried by said element and projecting above the face of the roll, and means connected electrically thereto to raise the tentering element above the face of the roll when said contacting element contacts with said contact plate.

2. Apparatus for laterally stretching and aligning a travelling strip of fabric, said apparatus comprising a rotatable roll for supporting the fabric, tentering elements carried by each end of the roll below its supporting face and radially movable to a position above said face, means for imparting axial movement to the tentering elements as the roll is rotated, and means controlled by the absence of fabric over the end of the roll for independently raising each tentering element into contact with the fabric.

3. Apparatus for laterally stretching and aligning a travelling strip of fabric, said apparatus comprising a rotatable roll for supporting the fabric, tentering elements on opposite ends of the roll below the supporting face of the roll, meanscontrolled by rotation of the roll for moving the tentering elements axially apart, and means carried by each tentering element and controlled by the lateral extent of the margins of the fabric for independently moving the tentering element radially into engagement with the fabric.

4. Apparatus for laterally stretching and aligning a travelling strip of fabric, said apparatus comprising a rotatable roll divided at its center for supporting th fabric, a plurality of tentering elements carried byeach roll section below the fabric-supporting face of the roll out of operative relation with the fabric, means controfled by rotation of the roll for imparting axial movement to the tentering elements, independent means for raising the tentering elements into operative relation with the fabric, and means for adjusting the roll sections and tentering means toward or from each other to accommodate fabrics of different widths.

5. The combination of a rollfor supporting a travelling webof fabric and a" tentering device therefor, said device comprising a fabric tentering element normally located below the supporting face of the roll and movable axially of the roll, a feeler projecting above the face of the roll and adapted to close an electrical c'rcuit during rotation of the roll when not covered by the fabric, a stationary cam for moving the element axially of the roll, and controlled. by the closing of said circuit for bringing said element into operative engagement with the fabric.

FRED D. FOWLER; 

